Toys that have the ability to produce noises and sounds have become extremely popular in recent years with children. In this regard, a number of toys have been developed that speak or talk when a child pushes a button on a toy. After pushing the button, the toy produces a prerecorded sound. For example, a toy might have a button with the letter xe2x80x9cExe2x80x9d printed on it. After a child presses the letter xe2x80x9cExe2x80x9d, the toy says the sound of the letter E (i.e., xe2x80x9ceeeexe2x80x9d).
Such toys could be improved. For example, over time, a child can become familiar with the responses from the toy. The child learns that by pushing on a certain part of the toy, the toy produces the same sound over and over again. The same set of buttons with the same corresponding set of sounds is always presented to the user. Consequently, learning and play can become predictable and repetitious. The child can lose interest in the toy and the educational and entertainment value of the toy to the child diminishes.
In addition, such toys have limited ways of reinforcing learning in a child and few ways to stimulate a child. In many conventional electronic toys, the only interaction that a child has with the toy is pressing buttons. It would be desirable if an electronic toy had more functionality and more ways to stimulate and engage a child.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems.
One embodiment of the invention is directed to an interactive apparatus comprising: a) a base unit comprising i) a substantially planar surface and ii) an array of electrical elements under the surface, b) a processor operatively coupled to the array of electrical elements; c) a memory operatively coupled to the processor; d) an audio output device operatively coupled to the processor; and e) a removable template over the surface of the base unit, wherein the removable template comprises a movable element that is over an electrical element in the array of electrical elements, wherein the electrical element is assigned to provide audio output that is related to the movable element.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to an interactive apparatus comprising: a) a base unit comprising i) a surface, ii) an array of switches under the surface, iii) a memory, iv) a processor operatively coupled to the array of switches and the processor, v) a slot, and vi) a speaker; b) a transferable information storage medium removably insertable in the slot; and c) a removable template over the surface of the base unit, wherein the removable template comprises a stationary portion and a plurality of movable elements, wherein each of the movable elements is capable of being moved while the stationary portion remains stationary and has a structure that is distinct from the stationary portion, and wherein the plurality of movable elements are disposed over a set of switches within the array of switches, each switch within the set of switches being assigned to provide output relating to the movable element that is disposed over the switch.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a method of using an interactive apparatus, the method comprising: a) providing a base unit comprising a substantially planar surface; b) placing a removable template over the substantially planar surface; c) moving a movable element in the removable template; and d) producing an audio output that relates to the movable element in response to moving the movable element.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a removable template for use over a surface of a base unit of an interactive apparatus, the removable template comprising: a) a stationary region; and b) a movable element that is structurally distinct from the stationary region and moves independently of the stationary region, and wherein the movable element comprises an upper portion capable of being moved by a user and a lower portion capable of contacting the surface in response to the movement by the user, and wherein the base unit produces an audio output that is related to the movable element moved by the user.
These and other embodiments of the invention can be described with reference to the foregoing Figures.